Longing
by Maat's Feather
Summary: Unwanted, friendless, feared, Kisara moves from village to village, each time with the hope that things will be different.


**Disclaimer: The YGO universe is not mine. I just mess with it.  
**

* * *

Unwanted, friendless, feared, Kisara moves from village to village, each time with the hope that things will be different.

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_There was so much fruit on the stand, plenty to share, and she was so hungry. Perhaps if she asked…perhaps the shopkeeper would be kind enough to help her. Longingly she stretched out a finger to touch one of the plump figs resting on the edge of the table._

"_What are you doing?" _

_The sharp words seemed to slap her across the face. She quickly withdrew her hand, but as she did, the fig tumbled to the ground. The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed and flicked quickly between the strange, pale girl and his sullied fruit. He grabbed a hold of her wrist and roughly pushed her away from his stall. _

"_What are you doing here?" he repeated angrily. "Get out!_

"_I'm sorry," gasped the girl as she struggled to maintain her footing._

"_Careful, my friend," cautioned a man standing next to the shopkeeper. He lowered his voice. "Look at her; look at her hair. She is a demon."_

_By now she was trembling, but she wasn't willing to give up. She shook her head fervently and held her hands out to them. "No. I, I'm not! Please. I just…"_

_The shopkeeper took little heed of his friend's advice and waved his arms aggressively at her. "Away demon!"_

_A crowd of market goers was quickly gathering around the scene. They were by turns curious and terrified. _

"_A demon!" she heard someone exclaim. " Where?"_

"_It's over there. Look!"_

_A woman in the back shrieked. "The children; hide the children!"_

"_Where's my son? My son, where are you?"_

_The girl choked on a cloud of incense someone was blowing in her direction. " Please! I…"_

_A distraught looking man raised a shaking finger and pointed to the shopkeeper. " You fool! You've angered her. Our crops will be ruined!"_

"_No! That's not true," protested the girl. Even if she could do something like that, she would never._

"_Leave. We don't want you here!"_

"_Get out or we'll make you get out!"_

"_Demon!"_

o O o_  
_

Beneath a scrubby tree and behind a large rock she was mostly concealed from any passerby who happened upon the main road. She would be safe for the time being. Kisara hugged her knees to her chest and traced out the rest of her journey with her eyes, following the road the down the hill to where it ended at a large gate.

She shuddered involuntarily at the sight before her - the great city of the Pharaoh. It was far larger than any other she had seen before. From her perch, Kisara could see people, small dark marks in the distance, moving about like so many ants rushing about their colony. Plenty of dust and smoke was being kicked up from their activities, and rising above it all was the elegant architecture of the royal palace.

It was all so intimidating.

She closed one eye and squeezed the view between her thumb and index finger. Aha, much more manageable. She could fit the entire city in her pocket now if she wanted to!

Kisara smiled to herself and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, stretching out her legs. She told herself that the larger a city is the easier it would be to blend in with the crowd. Surely in such a city there must live people of all kinds. There was a chance she might be able to stay there relatively unnoticed.

Her smile slowly faded as reality set in. She wasn't that good at lying, not even to herself. She had been chased from so many villages, every single one she ever visited. It was hard to keep up the hope that this time would be any different.

Kisara knew there were only two options open to her. If she stayed in the wilderness, she would certainly perish. She needed water, food, and shelter. If she entered the city, she would probably find what she needed, but it came at a price that had nothing to do with coin. She would be jeered at, spit at, and the target of tossed stones and rotten produce. Other people would back away from her in fear. It would only be a matter of time before she would be run out town, and the cycle would begin once again.

There had been so many times in the past that she had just wanted to give up, to die, to be done with the torment of her transient life. But every morning, no matter how awful the day before had been, she would wake up to find a still beating heart and breath in her body.

The gods evidently wanted her alive. She figured they must have some purpose for her to serve, though she had no idea what their designs might be. And so she kept going. Her drive came partially from the will to live out her unknown destiny, but more honestly it was because she had a promise to fulfill.

Years ago, she had found that not all people were cruel. There was the One, and someday she would find him again.

o O o

_She huddled low in a corner of her cage slowly resigning herself to her fate of imprisonment. Not far away she could hear her captors crow over their good fortune of abducting such a strangely unique girl. Kisara sighed and was about to try to sleep when a boy, not much older than she, appeared and broke open the lock that was keeping her trapped behind those hated bars._

_Before her mind could fully register what was happening, she found herself lifted onto the back of a horse and racing away with the boy, barely escaping the camp. When they had outdistanced her captors, the boy sent her off on his horse while he remained behind. There was so much she wanted to say to him but there was no time. She gripped the reigns and looking back at Set, the boy, her savior, she promised that one day she would repay him._

_When she woke the following morning, she was alone. Only the rope burns on her wrists and hoof marks in the dirt indicated that the previous night was anything other than a dream. The horse had evidently wandered off during the night to find its master. Kisara didn't mind. She wouldn't be able to take care of a horse, and it rightfully belonged to the boy. _

_The boy! Set. She dropped to her knees and wept. She wept for the boy, his family, and his village. He had only tried to help her, and look what happened. His village was burned. She didn't know how she knew or how she knew that it was true, only that it was. Tears streamed from her eyes, however, not all were of sadness. There were a few tears of joy._

o O o_  
_

Despite the horrors that had occurred, Kisara rejoiced that there was someone who cared, someone who did not hate her. That was what truly kept her going. Set's demonstration of humanity burned within her breast and gave her courage. At times it was a raging flame fanned on by great winds. Most of the time it was only a small glowing ember, but it was always there.

She closed her eyes and placed her hand over her heart. There was warmth there and a steady, reassuring beat. With a deep breath she opened her eyes and fixed her gaze upon the city with renewed determination. She stood, brushed off the little stones that stuck to her calves and the dust clinging to her dress, and began to walk.

"Maybe. Maybe this time things will be different."

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Fin 


End file.
